Study Abroad

How to Market Your Study Abroad Experience

Could your international experience be the icing on the cake?

When speaking to domestic or international employers, it is crucial to develop ways to market your international experience to help you get the job that you desire. Articulating your skills and traits that you have acquired will enhance your ability to compete as a top job candidate. Start by visiting the Hart Career Center, then check out these tips and links to sites to help you get started.

What types of skills and attributes are developed through studying abroad?

The skills and attributes gained while studying abroad are as diverse and varied as each individual's study-abroad experience. The following list, from Ball State University, offers examples of skills often developed through living in other countries:

Global point of view, appreciation of diversity, tolerance, cultural awareness, and sensitivity to customs and cultural differences

Flexibility and adaptability

Motivation and initiative

Organizational and time-management skills

Ability to identify, set, and achieve goals

General travel and navigational skills

Problem-solving and crisis-management skills

Patience Independence, self-reliance, and responsibility

Perseverance

Inquisitiveness

Assertiveness

Open-minded and observant

Tips for Success

You should include your study abroad experience on your resume, and refer to it in your cover letter, portfolio, and job interviews.

When writing a good cover letter, it is important to match your skills and abilities to the needs of the employer. Use the cover letter to highlight one or two of your top skills or attributes when referring to your travel experience.

Be prepared to situate the general environment of the school you attended while abroad.

Be prepared to speak about the specific cultural traits of your new study abroad host country nationals and intercultural skills.

With language skills, indicate the level of reading, writing, and speaking skills you have acquired.

Use the language of your future work. Avoid using too many names and titles that will be foreign to your prospective employer. Avoid detailed geographical descriptions.

In dealing with international employers, don't mix personal goals with career goals. Never announce to potential international employers that your career goal is to live in Paris or to travel extensively in Asia. Employers want to hear about goals that match their skill requirements.

In dealing with employers with no international experience, do not overstate or dwell on your re-entry adjustment problems, demonstrate your business focus and avoid wearing souvenir clothing or jewelry.